Greener Together

Prior to Greener Together, ASH was already making some structural and policy changes to become more sustainable. These include centrally purchasing and distributing energy efficient lightbulbs and recycled bin bags. “We replaced our windows and doors to get highly efficient double glazing. It was an enormous project that took three years, but once it was finished, people saw an immediately drop in their energy use. The direct feedback from that created another wave of excitement about doing other things”. The co-op provides fridges and cookers to all houses and has changed its policy to energy buy A** energy rated ones, and has a new policy about buying more sustainable hardwood flooring and carpets. The housing association also has changed the type of futon that it buys so that the mattresses contain recycled off-cuts. “We only buy eco-paint with low VOCs, do community compositing, have an onsite organic allotment and fruit trees. We changed our energy and gas suppliers and our water showerheads to low-water showerheads”. ASH has also begun to start to retrofit the houses and two have been nominated as guinea pigs to see how it will work.

The amount that the co-op is already doing could be inhibiting people from taking up the Greener Together pledges, suspects Bryony. “I think there maybe is a limit to which people are either capable, or prepared, to be involved in projects that are addressing Greener Together sustainability. Perhaps also it’s to do with capacity, because people are already involved in our in-house projects”. Bryony does think that, because ASH is pretty forward thinking with environmental policies, her fellow members already have a green identity, “somehow it’s also become a barrier to address the personal behavioural change”.

Bryony’s advice to eco-operators new to Greener Together is to get the practical/community project going quite early on. “It would have got people engaged and given them a feeling of ownership of the project and a feeling of accomplishment. If people feel part of something, then they’re more likely to stay engaged”. When it comes to the pledges themselves, Bryony’s advice is to choose pledges that are specific to you. “Look at your life, and go through the questionnaire and then find out the gaps. Fit pledges into your lifestyle and choose ones that you know you can achieve. Ask yourself ‘what do you know you ought to be doing, and never get round to?’” She also suggests using a buddy system to try and get people who have similar pledges to buddy up.